Continuous trigger activated pumping system

Claim 1

In a pumping system for use with a container for product and a dip tube to dispense product from the container through the dip tube, said pumping system including: a housing with a mounting means to be affixed to the container; a manually actuated pressurizing pump including first and second check valves and a first spring-loaded piston and cylinder assembly for withdrawing a quantity of product from the container through said dip tube and said first check valve during an intake stroke and for pressurizing said quantity of product during a pressurizing stroke, said first cylinder also acting as part of said housing for attachment to the dip tube; storage compartment means including a second spring-loaded piston and cylinder assembly expandable for storing under a pressure determined by said second spring-loaded assembly, a quantity of pressurized product received through said second check valve from said pressurizing pump; and a restricted outlet orifice; said storage compartment means being functionally located with said restricted outlet orifice at its outlet and said second check valve at its inlet from said pressurizing pump; said restricted orifice controlling the rate of product discharge therethrough so as to allow only a portion of the pressurized product to be dispensed from said pump during the pressurizing stroke, when pumping relatively rapidly, the remainder of said product being stored in said storage compartment means to be dispensed during the subsequent intake stroke of said first spring-loaded piston by contraction of said storage compartment means to maintain the stream or spray from the orifice when the pressurizing pump is receiving product on its intake stroke; said storage compartment means including an outlet opening in communication with said outlet orifice, said outlet opening being disposed relative to said second spring-loaded piston so that it is opened and closed by movement of the second spring-loaded piston thereby completely controlling the flow to the restricted orifice; the improvement comprising: a lever including a first arm having an intermediate portion in said housing engaging said first piston and movable to operate said first piston, and a second arm depending from said first arm on one side of said first piston to provide a finger-actuated trigger outside said housing; said lever and said housing having pivot means pivotally connecting said lever to said housing on the side of said first piston opposite said one side; whereby the force applied to said first piston during operation by said intermediate portion of said lever is greater than the actuating force applied to said trigger; said first arm of said lever extending outwardly from said piston under said restricted outlet orifice so that said trigger is located outwardly of said piston and outwardly beyond said restricted outlet orifice; and said first arm forming a downwardly and inwardly sloping ramp means under said orifice for returning drips from said orifice to said container.